Mike's On: Cashman on 2012 and beyond

“Going in (to 2013), I look at Alex Rodriguez as our everyday third baseman, with the ability to gravitate to that DH spot as well.”

Those were the words of New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, who joined Mike Francesa on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the end of the Yankees’ season and the franchise’s future, both immediate and long-term.

In addition to his ideas on A-Rod, Cashman touched on numerous other topics in the near 45-minute interview, ranging from the team’s postseason run to payroll issues to the futures of several other players. Here are some snippets of the GM’s appearance on Mike’s On:

Cashman on CC Sabathia’s elbow: “I don’t know yet (if he needs surgery); I’d say it’s likely, because when he was evaluated in the summertime, it was decided to give him some anti-inflammatories. He had a bone spur in there all the way back to his Cleveland days that probably needed to be cleaned up once it began to bother him, but the ligament was good, so we’ll have to wait and see. Whatever Dr. Andrews says, we’ll do, no big deal.”

Cashman on the team’s winter philosophy: “This is the same as every winter for me. We always have quality free agents, but we’re always trying to gravitate to great players, and I think we typically do. I’ve gotten accustomed to every winter being full of ‘what are you going to do?’ and ‘how are you going to do it?’ So, we’re going to be hopeful to continue to do what we’ve done in the past, which is bring a team back that people can look at and say ‘you know what, that’s got a shot.’ Our philosophy’s not going to change.”

Cashman on the franchise’s future: “Do we need to get younger? Only if it gets us better. Do I want us to be younger and better? Yes, but will I sacrifice, would I go younger to make us worse and forego better choices that are older that make us better? No. … In theory, I want us to get younger and better, but in reality, that’s not always realistic; it depends on what is immediately coming through your system and if you feel that the players currently knocking on the door are potential everyday guys.”

To hear more of what the GM had to say, you can watch a portion of Francesa’s interview with Cashman below.